


Parallel Lines

by peacefulvillage



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Girl Next Door Betty Cooper, I'm Bad At Tagging, One Shot, Secret Relationship, Southside Serpent Jughead Jones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-22 06:29:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16592609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peacefulvillage/pseuds/peacefulvillage
Summary: A familiar scene begins. A crying blond in the bathroom, a girl discovering her secret, and one big problem. Good girl Betty Cooper is as perfect as someone can get, but like her mother before her has a weakness for Jones' boys. One thing is clear Betty is not Alice and Jughead is not FP.Betty pounded the stall with her fist and started to cry. Someone knocked on the stall door. Guess she wasn’t alone after all.“Everything okay in there?”The door opened to reveal Veronica Lodge. Her eyes widened at the sight of Betty Cooper with a pregnancy test. Betty Cooper.“What?” Betty snapped in a tone she never used. “Shouldn’t you be in a mall or something?”“Oh crap girl, are you…” Veronica said but Betty brushed past her and went to the mirror to make sure she looked presentable.





	Parallel Lines

**Author's Note:**

> I thought about making this a multi - chapter but just did a one - shot. Yes, a million stories like this have some out since that episode, but I needed to sleep and I couldn't because I kept picturing this.

Betty Cooper closed the door of her locker and walked down the hall refusing to look at anyone. She had the…thing safe in her pocket. She couldn’t do this at home. Somehow her mother would find out and freak. It was just safer to do it here. The bell had already rung so she would be alone. The minutes seemed to be hours as she sat on the toilet praying that this was all just a huge mistake. That this wasn’t really happening. Her life was already crazy enough as it was. Her parents were newly divorced and her father had moved out. Polly had run off to some farm and never came home anymore. Betty was the good one. The one who always did everything she was supposed to and never caused any trouble. As close to perfect as someone could get, but no one was perfect. People had weaknesses and hers was…her phone vibrated showing that time was up. Betty did a silent prayer and then turned the stick over.

_Pregnant_

She hated how advance things were now. Before it was just a little pink plus sign. Now it was stated there in black letters plain as day. Pregnant. Betty pounded the stall with her fist and started to cry. Someone knocked on the stall door. Guess she wasn’t alone after all.

“Everything okay in there?”

The door opened to reveal Veronica Lodge. Her eyes widened at the sight of Betty Cooper with a pregnancy test. _Betty Cooper_.

“What?” Betty snapped in a tone she never used. “Shouldn’t you be in a mall or something?”

“Oh crap girl, are you…” Veronica said but Betty brushed past her and went to the mirror to make sure she looked presentable.

“Probably a false positive, happens all the time,” Betty said shoving the stick into her pocket.

“Maybe in the 90’s, those things are a lot more advanced now,” Veronica said and Betty turned around.

“What am I going to do?” She said, “I tried talking to him but he is always surrounded by about 12 snakes and completely ignored me.”

“Let me guess,” Veronica said leaning against the sink, “Riverdale’s own Holden Caulfield.”

“How did you…”

“Tall, dark, and handsome biker dude?” Veronica said, “Come on. Of course The Betty Cooper would fall the exact guy she wasn’t supposed to.”

“I didn’t fall for anyone. We were just having fun.” Betty said and Veronica wisely said nothing. She still really did want to friends with Betty. After the disaster at Cheryl’s party Veronica didn’t know what to do to make it up to her. She thought about buying Betty stuff, but that didn’t seem like something Betty would like. So Veronica did nothing and hoped that everything would work itself out. It didn’t. Betty wouldn’t talk to her. Kevin wouldn’t talk to her. Veronica did join the Pussycats but even then she never became really close to anyone. Maybe this would be her chance to fix that.

Pretty soon the two girls found themselves in a situation they never expected to be in. Sitting across from each other at Pops. Betty had ordered a strawberry milkshake but was just staring at it. Finally Veronica spoke up.

“Are you going to tell your mom?” Veronica said and Betty snorted. Another un-like Betty thing to do.

“My sister had a scare and my parents were going to send to this mental asylum to have the baby then force her to give it up for adoption,” Betty told her. “I don’t know what I am going to do yet, but no way in hell I am doing that. Now my sister joined some weird cult to get away from our parents I haven’t seen much of her either.”

“Are you going to tell him?” Veronica asked.

“How?” Betty said, “How can I when he is always with someone and probably has moved on to another northsider to corrupt.” Betty put her head down. “Why did he have to join the stupid school paper?”

“Okay, I’ll help you,” Veronica said and Betty sat up and looked at her.

“Why?” Betty asked.

“I’m sorry for what happened last year,” Veronica said, “I don’t know what came over me. It was such a basic bitch move. Here I was trying to make friends and I ended up just making everyone hate me. Let me be your friend now.” Betty smiled and then finally began to drink her milkshake.

….

“Seriously?” Veronica said as she had Betty peered around the corner the next day after school. “Are they all joined at the hip? Co – dependent much?” Jughead was in front of his locker and of course the tall one was with him. How did Betty manage to secretly fool around with him for months but couldn’t get him alone for a conversation now?

“Shh!” Betty said.

“Ready?” Veroncia said.

“No, but come on,” Betty said and the girls walked towards the two Serpents.

“You! Tall person!” Veronica called out pointing at Sweet Pea. “Finally you can be put to good use.”

“Excuse me?” He said confused.

“Some idiot put my gym bag on the top shelf of the girl’s locker room and I can’t reach it,” Veronica lied, “It is your lucky day. You get to see inside the girl’s locker room.”

“You need me to reach something for you?” Sweet Pea clarified.

“Do I need to talk slower?” Veronica said and then started to walk away. “Today!” Sweet Pea looked at Jughead who shrugged.

“I wouldn’t keep her waiting,” Jughead said and Sweet Pea rolled his eyes before following the dark haired girl. Now it was just Betty and Jughead standing awkwardly next to each other. It had been two weeks since things had ended. Neither of them formally said anything, but they both knew. Betty was a lot more disappointed than she let on and it hurt even more that Jughead didn’t seem affected in the slightest. Laughing with his friends the next day and ignoring her like nothing ever happened.

“So what did you want to talk about so bad that you had your friend make up a story about needing Sweet Pea to get something for her?” He asked and when Betty didn’t say anything for a while he went on, “Everything okay?”

“Can we not do it here?” Betty asked and then blushed. They had done “it” here a number of times. Usually behind the locked door of the Blue and Gold when they worked late on a story. Betty remembered on time when he slammed her against the door and then sank to his knees. She began to wear a lot more skirts after that. “Pops tomorrow?”

“You want to be seen together at Pops?” Jughead said.

“Well, meet there and go somewhere else.” Betty said not wanting any attention drawn to them and if they showed up to Pops together all eyes would be on them.

“Okay,” He said and then they heard voices of people coming closer.

“ _It wasn’t even that high_ ,” Sweet Pea said.

“ _My arms were sore and I couldn’t reach_ ,” Veronica said back as they came into view, “Let’s go Betty.”

“Okay, uh, see you later.” Betty said and then they girls all but ran out of the school.

“What the hell was that about?” Sweet Pea asked.

“I don’t know,” Jughead said and he hated not knowing things.

**.. <> ..**

“So I am pretty sure it isn’t a false positive,” Veronica said as they girls sat on the bathtub looking and the line of pregnancy tests on the sink. “You need to go to the doctor Betty.”

“I can’t,” Betty said, “They’ll call my mom.”

“Betty…” Veronica protested.

“Just let me tell Jughead first,” Betty said wiping away a tear. “Then I’ll go. I will use a fake name or something.”

“Girls?” Hermione said knocking on the door. “I am going to order some dinner do you want anything?”

“Uh, yeah, just make my normal a double,” Veronica said and then Hermione opened the door. The girls rushed to get the tests, but it was too late. She had seen it and the sight of a blond girl with tears in her eyes was all too familiar.

“My mom is going to kill me.” Betty said.

“No, she’s not,” Hermione promised. If she tries Hermione will share the secret she has kept for over two decades, but she didn’t say that part out loud. “Come on, let’s get you something to eat.” Betty ate and was able to keep everything down. She texted her mother letting her know she was spending the night at Veronica’s house. Thankfully her mother did not object.

“You can stay here as long as you want, you know,” Veronica said as the girls sat on the couch wrapped up in blankets watching TV.

“I don’t want to be a bother,” Betty said but was actually grateful for the offer. Her mother was most likely going to kick her out or force her to go to that place she was going to send Polly.

“It isn’t,” Veronica assured her.

“Thank you,” Betty said and Veronica put her arm around Betty and she leaned into her. Hermione found them asleep a little while later. She smiled and put a blanket over the two girls.

The next day Betty found Jughead leaning on the wall of Pops smoking a cigarette. He was in the shadows and all you could really make out was the glow from the cigarette. Betty stayed back until he put it out.

“Hey,” Betty said coming closer. “Thanks for meeting me.”

“By your tone I take it this isn’t how our other meetings used to go,” Jughead said.

“No,” Betty said. “Is your Dad home?”

“Yeah, but we can go somewhere else.” Jughead said. “Greendale has a good coffee shop.”

“Perfect,” Betty said and they both got on Jughead’s bike and drove off before anyone noticed the two leave together.

“Tea?” Jughead said surprised at her order. Betty always ordered at least one extra espresso shot in her lattes. Betty nodded and tried to object when he got his wallet out, but he waved her off. They sat down in a corner table and Betty decided to just get right to it.

“I’m pregnant,” Betty said and Jughead spat out his coffee. It was like something out of a comic and Betty couldn’t help it and started to laugh. It felt good to laugh, but reality set back in.

“What are you going to do?” Jughead asked and then corrected himself. “What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know,” Betty said, “I have some time to decide.”

“I take it Veroncia knows,” Jughead said.

“And her mother, but that’s it.” Betty said.

“You haven’t told your mother yet?” Jughead asked.

“No, her idea would be to send me to this group home and then give the baby up for adoption,” Betty told him. “I know I need to tell her but I don’t know how. It feels like it will end up with me shipped away to hide my shameful secret.”

“I won’t let that happen,” Jughead promised, “If she tries I will break in and steal you away. I am a Serpent after all.” Betty smiled. “Do you want me to be with you when you do it?”

“Thanks but I think it is better I do it alone,” Betty said and Jughead nodded before lifting up his arm gesturing for her to move closer. Betty tucked herself to him and they finished drinking their drinks. Here in Greendale there weren’t Northside vs. Southside. For the first time Betty thought things might actually be okay.

Betty asked Veronica to go with her to tell Alice. She figured she needed a witness in case of any bloodshed and probably someone to help her pack. Alice was deadly silent after Betty finally told her. Betty admitted she hadn’t seen a doctor yet but she took enough tests and showed enough symptoms that she was fairly certain.

“I’ll call the sisters,” Alice said getting up.

“No,” Betty said standing up too, “No. I’ll leave, but I am NOT going there.”

“It is for the best,” Alice said, “You will be safe there and when the time comes you will have the baby and give it to a family who is ready for a baby.”

“Let’s go, Betty,” Veronica said, “Now.” Veronica grabbed Betty’s hand the girls ran out of the house.

They got into the car and rode off to the Pembroke. Betty was sobbing by the time they got there and Veronica told the doorman they were not to let anyone up to see them. Veronica also called Jughead and told him that she needed him and some of the other Serpents to keep a look out in case anyone came after Betty. Soon a whole bunch of snakes were around the Pembroke. They stayed in the shadows as to not been seen but were ready in case of anything.

Hermione put a cup of tea in front of Betty whose eyes were still red but had finally stopped crying. She was scared before but now she looked downright terrified.

“I will go get some food and be right back.” Hermione said, “Will you be okay?”

“Yes, we have people watching over us,” Veronica said, “Thanks Mom.”

“Thank you Mrs. Lodge,” Betty said taking a sip of the tea.

“Now that we are going to be roommates call me Hermione,” She said kindly, “I’ll be back soon.”

Hermione Lodge had never been to Alice’s house. Once upon a time she thought they might have become good friends and would do things like sleep at each other’s houses but that never happened. They all moved on. Changed. Hermione knocked on the door. A moment later Alice opened it.

“What are you doing here?” Alice demanded.

“Can I come in?” Hermione walked not waiting for an answer. She saw the glass of wine on the table and the half empty bottle next to it. “It has been an odd few days.”

“Oh, really?” Alice said sitting back down.

“I walked into my bathroom to see a scared girl with a pregnancy test in her hand and my daughter next to her.” Hermione said sitting down too. “Then a day later she is somehow even more scared. She thinks she is going to be taken by force to the sisters. Terrified. A lot more than when she found out she was pregnant.” Alice said nothing. “Now she won’t tell me who the father is…”

“Ha!” Alice said, “I know who the father is. I knew the second that snake changed schools that he would seduce my daughter.”

“FP’s son,” Hermione said, “Makes sense. Speaking of FP. I have kept your secret for over 20 years, but if you try and send Betty away and force her to give her child up I will start talking. Starting with FP. I know you never hated him, but could you handle him hating you?” Hermione stood up. “Nice seeing you again, Alice. If you change your mind and want to support your daughter give me a call. Until then she is staying with me. Do we have an understanding?” Alice only nodded.

Finally Betty felt safe enough to go to the doctor. Hermione assured her that Alice wouldn’t try anything. No one knew what she said to make that happen, but Betty believed her. Her room was crowded with Jughead, Veronica, Kevin, Archie, and Hermione all in the room with her. Betty had confided in her other friends needing all the support she could get. Kevin wasn’t that surprised. Betty had used him as a cover many times. Archie looked like he was about to pass out from the shock, but then gave her a hug and told her he would never let anything bad happen to her. The doctor ended up kicking everyone out except Jughead. He held her hand as the doctor confirmed it.

At school nothing changed. At least on the surface. The Serpents still kept to themselves. Betty and Veronica were open about their friendship but they were always meant to be friends. It just took a little longer to get there. It seemed that everything would be okay. Betty had a safe place to live, good friends, a supportive baby – daddy – who – might – hopefully - become - more, and she even talked to her mother twice since then. But some babies just aren’t ready to be born.

It happened in the middle of the night. It started out like any normal day. Betty went to school, did homework, got dinner at Pops with Veronica and Kevin, and kept sharing looks with Jughead who was sitting with his friends two booths over. Then the cramps started waking Betty up and she felt something between her legs. She threw back the blankets and saw blood. The only thing she could do was scream. Everything happened very fast after that. Veronica helped Betty get into the car which was hard because Betty kept her legs closed as if it to stop what was happening. Hermione made the phone calls as they rushed to the hospital. Veronica held Betty as she started to cry as she had done many times but her own eyes began to burn too.

..<>..

_Who calls at 3:00 in the morning_ was Jughead’s first thought as his phone started ringing. He debated ignoring it and going back to sleep, but it was must be pretty important. He looked at the screen. It was Betty calling. When he answered it was Veronica on the other line saying that he needed to come to the hospital right away and that Betty was bleeding. Jughead shot out of bed and started grabbing cloths off the floor not caring if they were clean or not and he didn’t give a shit about finding his hat.

“Jug what is it?” FP said having been woken up by the commotion.

“Veronica just called, she said that Betty is bleeding and I don’t know exactly what that means but I have to go to the hospital.” Jughead said in a rush. He grabbed his keys only to drop them.

“Hospital?” FP repeated, “Why?”

“Because Betty is pregnant!” Jughead yelled.

“Okay, I will drive you,” FP said getting the keys to his truck. “You are in no shape.”

Once FP stopped in front of the doors Jughead ran into the hospital demanding where Betty Cooper was. When he finally got to her room he stopped. He saw her in a hospital gown sitting at the edge of the table with her head down. Veronica was with her rubbing her back. No. She must have sensed he was there because she looked up and Jughead saw her bloodshot eyes. She started crying and held her arms out. Jughead ran into them and she sobbed on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” She mumbled.

“No, no,” Jughead said making her look at him, “This is not your fault. I don’t want you to say that again. This baby, it was just wasn’t its time, and when it is you are going to be a great mom. And if I am lucky maybe I will get to have the honor of being their father too.” Betty tried to smile through her tears.

“You have a way with words,” Betty managed to say.

“I dabble,” Jughead said and then put his arms around her again. Veronica had left the room giving them a minute. She saw Alice Cooper at the window watching her daughter and Jughead. She looked just as disheveled as the rest of them. Veronica approached her carefully.

“The doctor said she is going to need to talk to someone about what happened and recommended a few people,” Veronica said, “But she is going to need her mother. Probably more than she ever has.”

“I was so afraid of her becoming me, but I never wanted this for her,” Alice said and Veronica nodded not knowing what else to say. She went to go find her mother and suddenly Alice was joined by someone else. She didn’t have to look to know who it was.

“I’m sorry,” FP said.

“I didn’t want her repeating my mistakes,” Alice said.

“They weren’t all mistakes,” FP said, “And they aren’t us. Hell, they are better than us. Jughead is a good kid. Going places. Despite the jacket he wears. If Betty is half as strong as you she will get through this.” Alice wiped away a tear.

“Since when do you know the right thing to say?” Alice asked.

“The damn kid makes me read stuff,” FP replied, “Now go on in there.”

Alice carefully walked into the room. Jughead loosened his grip on Betty, but didn't let her go. FP was right. Their children weren't them. Jughead was looking at her daughter like he would do anything to take her pain away. 

"I...I made a whole mess of things Betty, and I am so sorry. For everything," Alice started tearing up too. "My backwards way of trying to protect you ended up just pushing you away. I would like you to come home, honey. We need to talk about things. Or if you want to stay at Veronica's house I will come visit you there. Whatever you need. Because you are not me."

"I would really like to come home," Betty said and Alice took her hand and kissed it. She looked at Jughead. He looked like his father, but he wasn't him. She patted Jughead on the shoulder apologizing to him too. 

Betty was released a few days later and was going back home. They had gotten a hold of Polly and she was already at the house waiting. Jughead was the one that drove her home. He helped her out of the truck but before she could walk up the steps to her house he grabbed her hand.

“Hey, Betts?” He said and she stopped. “Do you want to go out with me? Like for real. Sometime. Sit next to each other at Pops, not give a shit what people think.”

“I would like that,” Betty said knowing he would wait until she was ready. “It’s a date.”

**Author's Note:**

> I know nothing about miscarriages and I hope I don't offend anyone. I know it is jumpy but this was always meant to be a one-shot. I have too many multi - chapter stories going on and I didn't want to get into detail about a lot of stuff. So again, I am sorry for moving around so much. But I couldn't get it out of my mind. If you liked it leave a kudo, if you want to leave a comment that would be great too. Thanks for reading.


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